Dehradun: In fresh data that has disappointed for Uttarakhand health department, in spite of investing funds and manpower to stem female infanticide, the female sex ratio at birth for children born in last five years has gone down by 24% as per the latest NFHS-4 (National Family Health Survey) data.

As per the survey, for every 1,000 males, 888 girls were born during the last five years as compared with 912 during the earlier survey which was conducted in 2005-06. This, sources say, puts into question the efficacy of the state’s Hamarai Kanya, Hamara Abhiman and several other schemes. NFHS-4 was conducted from January 30 to July 19, 2015 and the survey report was unveiled by the health ministry recently.

Interestingly, the ratio of girl births is 817 in urban areas while rural areas have recorded a higher percentage of female births of about 924 per 1,000 males. As per the survey, Uttarakhand is in the list of five states which includes Andaman and Nicobar, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Karnatka, where the sex ratio at birth for children born in the last five years has fallen drastically.

Of all the five states, Andaman has registered the highest fall from 1, 083 to 859 followed by Madhya Pradesh which registered a 33% decrease in female birth from 960 to 927 and then Uttarakhand.

A senior health official when queried about the findings accepted that there was “huge scope of improvement in the health sector of Uttarakhand.” “In spite of modernisation and technical intervention, it has come as an eyeopener for us that the state has failed in improving its female infanticide status,” the official said.

Meanwhile, the state has shown an improvement in overall sex ratio of the total population from 996 to 1, 015 in the last one decade.

With immense pride “India Live” celebrated its 10th national conference in Mumbai from 28th February to 3rd March 2019. The conference turned out to be a gold mine of information, with emphasis on academics, education and exchange of knowledge with leaders in interventional cardiology from both India and abroad.